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Carlton

Q: Is Carlton a good school?

Carlton ranks 509 th of 899 Massachusetts elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

509^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 899 Massachusetts Elementary Schools

Better than 43% of Massachusetts elementary schools

Summary

Carlton is a K–5 elementary school with 247 students in Salem, MA, a coastal city north of Boston. In 2025–2026 it ranks 509th of 899 Massachusetts schools (43rd percentile, 2 stars), above its district, Salem, which ranks 288th of 351 districts (18th percentile, 1 star), and above every nearby same-district school. Its history is mid-tier, with 58th–59th percentile in 2015–16 and 2017–18, then mostly 33rd–48th since; it is now at the 43rd percentile, up from 38th.

Academically, Carlton beats the Salem district in all three subjects: ELA 40.83% (district 30.36%, state 40.03%), math 32.5% (district 25.46%, state 41.11%), and science 42.86% (district 29.64%, state 40.98%). Science is a strength and ELA is essentially at the state average, while math trails the state by roughly 8.6 points. Carlton posts the highest ELA and science proficiency among same-district neighbors, ahead of Saltonstall School, Bates, Witchcraft Heights, Horace Mann Laboratory, and Bentley Academy Innovation School, but its math sits below Bates (38.55%) and Witchcraft Heights (34.93%). Nearby schools in Beverly and Danvers score higher in ELA and math — Ayers/Ryal Side School (55.9% ELA, 67.08% math), Cove Elementary (54.48%, 58.52%), and Riverside (44.64%, 46.9%) — though Carlton's science beats Riverside's. Carlton clearly outperforms Peabody's William A Welch Senior and Thomas Carroll. Grade-level results show standout 3rd-grade ELA (56.1%) and weak 4th-grade math (27.03%, below both district and state).

Resources look favorable: the smallest enrollment and lowest student-teacher ratio (10.4) of nearby schools, plus $20,385 in per-student spending in 2020–2021, above most peers, though that figure is dated. Subgroup effectiveness is uneven — special education students rank at the 56th percentile (3 stars), above the school's overall 43rd, while low-income students rank at the 23rd percentile (1 star), down from 32nd and 44th in the two prior years, the clearest equity concern. With small grade cohorts and some older or missing data, year-to-year swings should be read cautiously.

247

Students ?

10.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$25,017

Per pupil spending ?

45.7%

Directly certified for free meals (2024-25) ?

All students in Massachusetts receive free school meals.

98%

Kindergartners with all required immunizations (2025-26)

Exemptions: 2% (any vaccine)

10 Skerry Street
Salem, MA 01970

(978) 740-1280

District: Salem

Students who attend Carlton usually attend:

Middle:	Collins Middle
High:	Salem High
	Salem Prep High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

55.1%

Hispanic:

32.4%

African American:

6.1%

See top rated Massachusetts elementary schools

Compare Carlton to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 58th percentile in 2016 → 43rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Salem

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 15 percentile points since 2016

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school38%

District avg28%

Massachusetts avg41%

509^th of 899

Massachusetts public elementary schools ?

Bottom 43%▼ down 14 pts since 2016

From top 42% (2016) to bottom 43% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Massachusetts Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 6Elementary Schools in the Salem

288^th of 351Salem among Massachusetts districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	43.1	509 of 899	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	38.9	559 of 906	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.5	509 of 916	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	48.6	487 of 928	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	46.9	498 of 932	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	34.6	630 of 936	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.9	572 of 942	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	61.4	382 of 934	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2017	49.5	489 of 938	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2016	60.3	393 of 932	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2015	41.9	580 of 914	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2014	33.5	667 of 926	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	15.4	812 of 928	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	19.0	764 of 930	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	18.3	781 of 924	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	8.7	858 of 920	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	6.9	866 of 909	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	15.9	790 of 908	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	37.0	644 of 911	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	38.9	606 of 911	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2005	15.2	772 of 887	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	16.2	748 of 882	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2003	26.5	673 of 884	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2022	65.6	172 of 672	74.4%	★★★★☆
2021	38.7	366 of 632	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	51.7	268 of 665	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.7	175 of 656	73.3%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	46.2	462 of 869	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	43.5	493 of 869	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.8	489 of 886	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	42.4	525 of 887	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.2	625 of 901	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	24.8	682 of 898	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	48.5	499 of 902	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	62.2	358 of 893	59.9%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	38.2	295 of 475	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	29.9	350 of 458	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	30.4	337 of 446	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	34.1	291 of 420	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	36.4	249 of 401	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	37.8	218 of 379	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	62.9	111 of 398	72.1%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	29.6	575 of 742	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	35.6	502 of 736	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.9	424 of 760	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	42.4	442 of 757	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	37.6	506 of 772	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	29.5	533 of 705	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	45.8	386 of 700	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	75.4	101 of 685	85.3%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	40.5	523 of 879	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	32.4	596 of 884	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.0	489 of 891	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	53.3	417 of 896	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.9	329 of 908	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	45.9	487 of 904	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	33.8	636 of 907	29.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	54.7	427 of 898	52.4%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	49.2	309 of 709	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	53.8	255 of 717	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	49.8	301 of 731	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	47.0	329 of 703	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.6	427 of 905	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	26.0	709 of 894	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	41.4	553 of 896	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	69.2	197 of 886	77.8%	★★★★☆

Tested In Person

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2021	33.8	629 of 925	32.0%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	53.9	334 of 734	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	51.8	368 of 737	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.9	292 of 753	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.6	263 of 762	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	60.3	291 of 764	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	49.0	395 of 765	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	43.2	477 of 780	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	67.0	240 of 772	68.9%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Disabled (2022)74th percentile+28 vs school

Special Education (2026)56th percentile+13 vs school

White (2026)54th percentile+11 vs school

Female (2026)47th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2026)41st percentile-3 vs school

Hispanic (2026)38th percentile-5 vs school

Tested In Person (2021)32nd percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)23rd percentile-21 vs school

By subject vs Massachusetts (2025-2026) ?

Science43%~ state avg

English Language Arts41%~ state avg

Mathematics32%-9 vs state

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Schools Near Carlton

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Vaccination Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts (2026)				MCAS Next Generation Mathematics (2026)				MCAS Next Generation Science (2026)		Vaccination (2025-26)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Directly certified (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts 4th Grade	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts 5th Grade	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts All Grades	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 3rd Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 4th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 5th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics All Grades	MCAS Next Generation Science 5th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Science All Grades	Vaccination: Kindergartners with all required immunizations	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Total
Carlton	Public	K-5	10 Skerry Street	Salem	01970	Essex County	Salem	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 740-1280	247	24	10.4	45.7%	136 (55.1%)	15 (6.1%)	80 (32.4%)	4 (1.6%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	9 (3.6%)	43.1	509^th of 899 public elementary schools	43.4%		38.9	559^th of 906 public elementary schools	38.3%	50	56.1	32.4	33.3	40.8	34.2	27.0	35.7	32.5	42.9	42.9	98%	2%	$25,017
Bentley Academy Innovation School	Public	PK, KG-5	25 Memorial Drive	Salem	01970	Essex County	Salem	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 740-1260	286	20	14.3	71.7%	36 (12.6%)	21 (7.3%)	224 (78.3%)	2 (0.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	11.7	826^th of 899 public elementary schools	8.1%		18.1	760^th of 906 public elementary schools	16.1%	66	10.0	35.3	12.0	17.7	2.5	25.7	4.0	9.6	14.6	14.6	100%	0%	$24,740
Bates	Public	PK, KG-5	53 Liberty Hill Avenue	Salem	01970	Essex County	Salem	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 740-1250	410	33	12.5	54.1%	200 (48.8%)	30 (7.3%)	146 (35.6%)	5 (1.2%)	6 (1.5%)	2 (0.5%)	20 (4.9%)	39.9	536^th of 899 public elementary schools	40.4%		42.8	526^th of 906 public elementary schools	41.9%	10	36.7	32.8	32.7	34.1	40.7	39.7	34.7	38.6	36.7	36.7	97%	3%	$23,131
Saltonstall School	Public	K-5	211 Lafayette Street	Salem	01970	Essex County	Salem	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 740-1297	412	31	13.2	66.0%	135 (32.8%)	22 (5.3%)	222 (53.9%)	4 (1.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (6.6%)	33.8	597^th of 899 public elementary schools	33.6%		41.4	537^th of 906 public elementary schools	40.7%	60	43.2	33.3	30.8	35.0	43.2	22.9	26.9	29.9	30.8	30.8	100%	0%	$23,737
Ayers/Ryal Side School	Public	K-4	40 Woodland Avenue	Beverly	01915	Essex County	Beverly	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 921-6116	388	27	14.1	19.8%	329 (84.8%)	11 (2.8%)	35 (9.0%)	8 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.3%)	83.1	144^th of 899 public elementary schools	84.0%		85.2	124^th of 906 public elementary schools	86.3%	20	58.0	53.4		55.9	68.2	65.8		67.1			96%	4%	$19,147
Thomas Carroll	Public	PK, KG-5	60 Northend Street	Peabody	01960	Essex County	Peabody	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 536-4200	645	46	13.9	54.6%	307 (47.6%)	36 (5.6%)	264 (40.9%)	14 (2.2%)	3 (0.5%)	2 (0.3%)	19 (2.9%)	17.5	755^th of 899 public elementary schools	16.0%		19.3	751^st of 906 public elementary schools	17.1%	4	27.3	20.4	24.1	23.7	25.0	18.3	21.5	21.4	21.5	21.5	98%	1%	$17,383
Witchcraft Heights	Public	K-5	1 Frederick Street	Salem	01970	Essex County	Salem	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 740-1271	455	33	13.6	54.9%	196 (43.1%)	35 (7.7%)	185 (40.7%)	18 (4.0%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	17 (3.7%)	33.1	605^th of 899 public elementary schools	32.7%		35.4	590^th of 906 public elementary schools	34.9%	15	30.9	21.6	33.9	28.5	29.4	33.8	41.8	34.9	37.3	37.3	100%	0%	$24,319
Horace Mann Laboratory	Public	PK, KG-5	79 Willson Street	Salem	01970	Essex County	Salem	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 740-1290	293	25	11.8	64.8%	100 (34.1%)	22 (7.5%)	150 (51.2%)	11 (3.8%)	2 (0.7%)	1 (0.3%)	7 (2.4%)	17.5	753^rd of 899 public elementary schools	16.2%		12.5	820^th of 906 public elementary schools	9.5%	67	20.0	31.7	19.1	23.4	9.1	26.8	23.8	19.7	19.5	19.5	100%	0%	$25,801
William A Welch Senior	Public	K-5	50 Swampscott Avenue	Peabody	01960	Essex County	Peabody	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 536-5775	408	29	13.9	69.6%	148 (36.3%)	18 (4.4%)	222 (54.4%)	6 (1.5%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	10 (2.5%)	16.3	772^nd of 899 public elementary schools	14.1%		15.3	783^rd of 906 public elementary schools	13.6%	11	24.2	15.3	26.4	21.5	15.2	23.3	17.0	18.8	30.2	30.2	95%	2%	$17,907
Cove Elementary	Public	K-4	20 Eisenhower Avenue	Beverly	01915	Essex County	Beverly	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 921-6121	394	32	12.4	33.2%	285 (72.3%)	15 (3.8%)	71 (18.0%)	4 (1.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (4.6%)	76.9	207^th of 899 public elementary schools	77.0%		59.4	362^nd of 906 public elementary schools	60.0%	155	56.5	52.8		54.5	61.9	55.6		58.5			93%	5%	$21,191

Frequently Asked Questions about Carlton

What is the racial makeup of Carlton?

Students at Carlton are 55% White, 32% Hispanic, 6% African American, 4% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

Is Carlton a good school?

Carlton ranks 509^th of 899 Massachusetts elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Carlton?

In the 2024-25 school year, 247 students attended Carlton.

What district is Carlton in?

Salem

What schools do graduates of Carlton attend?

Students who attend Carlton usually go on to attend:

Middle : Collins Middle
High : Salem High
High : Salem Prep High School

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Latest Massachusetts data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataNewNov 1, 2026

2020–21 through 2023–24 school spending data (updated)NewNov 1, 2026

2023–24 through 2024–25 teacher salary dataNewNov 1, 2026

2020–21 through 2022–23 teacher salary data (updated)NewNov 1, 2026

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.